


The Tradition of Samhain

by Llama1412



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-30
Updated: 2010-10-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:56:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23484931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Llama1412/pseuds/Llama1412
Summary: The Faeries come from the Otherworld on Samhain Night to steal any human that is left unprotected.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	The Tradition of Samhain

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on livejournal in 2010. Posted unedited.

An hour before the Samhain feast began, it just figured that Merlin would spill a dish full of punch out of the window and all over the King. Fortunately, Uther had yet to change into his fancy robes, but Merlin still wound up in the stocks. Again.

Arthur, annoyed that he'd been left without a servant, went down to the town to berate his idiot employee before the feast. Only when he got there, Merlin wasn't being pelted with rotten fruit and he wasn't looking guilty or miserable, but instead he was surrounded by excited children, all surprisingly quiet and attentive as Merlin spoke.

"It has been taught for many a year that one must protect oneself and loved ones. But did no one ever question the practice or simply find themselves short on time and too tired to bother with the elaborate protections needed during Samhain? No, and I shall tell you why. Because all those who fail to protect themselves disappear into the night, never to be seen again. But I can see that you are still disbelieving. And so I shall show you why it is necessary to protect yourself and your family on Samhain.

"Nine years ago, a young woman, skeptical like yourselves, didn't bother to protect herself with masks or salt circles on Samhain night. Everyone else in her village had thoroughly protected themselves, but the woman was too busy and thought everyone else foolish for falling prey to such superstitions.

"At the stroke of midnight, the faeries burst forth from the barrier between this world and the next. One faerie made his way directly for the girl's village, which was his usual haunt on Samhain. The village was far from all others and the inhabitants often had to travel for days at a time in order to get all the provisions that the village needed. Because of this, the faerie wagered that he could catch at least one unsuspecting human and enspell them to follow him into the Faerie Realm forever more.

"However, the villagers had caught wise to the faerie's plans and its inhabitants had been meticulous about seeing everyone home and protected well before Samhain night...except for the young woman.

"The faerie flew over the village, inspecting each house and finding himself unable to enter. He was beginning to lose hope, pouting and griping to himself about how all the other faeries would make fun of him and show off their catches, for you see, faeries are not unlike children, like you and I, and they love to have fun and compete against each other. And this faerie had previously done so well, holding his own against the other faeries by catching useful humans every year. But this year...this year was looking to be different and the poor faerie nearly cried at the thought that he would lose.

"That was, until he found the one little cottage that remained open to his whims. The faerie cackled and whooped joyously, spinning loops around the house before bursting in through the window, scaring the young woman awake immediately. When she saw the faerie, hovering before her with a wide grin stretched across the earth-colored skin of its face, she let out a blood-curdling scream, but no one could hear her, for the faerie had placed a spell upon the residence.

"The woman didn't know this though, and she kept screaming, struggling against invisible bonds and expecting someone to come save her. The whole while, the faerie was flitting about, rummaging through her belongings and tossing things about. When he'd pilfered all the materials that had interested him, he moved in front of her and snapped her fingers. On his command, the leaves in his hair came alive and sprung at her, twisting into a distorted rope, held together only by the glowing strands of magic.

"Growing more and more terrified, the woman tried to run from her bed, away from the approaching restraints, but to no avail, and the magical robe curled around her wrists and ankles and dragged her off of the ground, to hover in midair beside the faerie.

"He burst once more out the window, this time with the prone body of the woman flying beside him, and flew away through the night to show off his catch, his terrifying cackle following him all the way.

"And when the village woke in the morning and counted their numbers, they knew who would be missing. Foolish girl, they whispered to each other. She paid for her disbelief, they said. And the house she'd lived in remained deserted, for the woman never returned. No one returns from the Otherworld. The faeries covet all and once a human is taken, he is never let go. He will be stuck with the faeries for as long as time extends, for in the Otherworld, there is no aging, no death. The faeries are immortal and their torture of captured humans goes on forever more.

"But look! Midnight approaches! And where are all of yee? Are your mothers protected? Your fathers? Yourselves? When we count our numbers tomorrow, will you be one of them?" Merlin finished the story in a hoarse voice, a wide, demented grin spreading across his face to punctuate the threat of the faeries. Right on cue, the children all screamed, scrambling to their feet and scurrying away home as fast as possible.

Arthur grinned, approaching the stocks now that his way was unimpeded by little children. Merlin couldn't see him from this angle, hadn't seen him during the entirety of the story, and Arthur had come down to punish him, after all.

He snuck up to the back of the stocks, using all of his numerable skills in stealth, until he could lean down and breathe a sharp "Boo!" into his ear.

Merlin jumped, attempting to twist around and yelping when his wrists and necks rubbed against the uneven wood of the stocks. Arthur stood back, avoiding the legs Merlin flailed out trying to kick him. "Calm down," he said, trying hard not to feel bad as he got a look at the abrasions Merlin had just given himself.

"Arthur," Merlin growled, eyes still wide with adrenaline. "You..."

"Oh, calm down. It's not like I snuck up on you with a knife or anything," Arthur pouted as he searched for a cloth to pad Merlin's wrists and neck. As he was already dressed in the formal wear required for the feast, he found nothing he could stand to lose and settled for fishing the key out of his pocket and unlatching his servant. "I'm not letting you go, by the way. My father has sentenced you to a night in the stocks."

"Then what are you doing?" Merlin grudgingly asked, cracking his back and stretching.

Arthur said nothing, reaching for his forearms and drawing his wrists close for inspection. He tugged them, and by extension, Merlin, closer, until he could brush his lips across the sensitive skin of each of his inner wrists. "Arthur?"

"They're fine," Arthur said against the skin of his right wrist. "Baby," he insulted as if saying so would mean that Merlin wouldn't notice the red dusting his cheeks.

Merlin grinned, opening his mouth to say something, but Arthur silenced him, carefully untying his neckerchief without chafing against the skin of his neck. When the fabric fell away, Arthur pulled back from Merlin's lips and ducked down to brush soft kisses instead against his neck

"Oh," Merlin whispered, his head tilting back until Arthur's hand in his hair was the only thing supporting it. "If this is payment for the scare, feel free to sneak up on me in the stocks anytime."

"Idiot," Arthur snorted into his neck, nosing against the underside of his jaw.

Merlin grasped at his tunic, the finely woven material slipping between his fingers. "A-aren't you supposed to be at the feast?"

"Don't be ridiculous, the feast doesn't start for another – " he pulled back despite Merlin's protesting groan to inspect the sky. "Shit."

"Was my story too interesting? Did you lose track of time?" Merlin laughed.

Arthur groaned, resting his forehead against Merlin's shoulder. "My father's going to kill me."

Merlin resisted the urge to run his fingers through Arthur's hair, knowing Uther would be even more upset if Arthur showed up looking like he'd just had a roll in the hay. "You'd probably better go, then," he sighed.

Arthur pulled back in agreement. "While I'm getting in trouble, I suppose you can miss the rest of your time in the stocks. It's not like anyone's out here and it _is_ Samhain – wouldn't want you to get taken away by faeries. But I expect you to be waiting in my chambers when I get there."

"Yes, sire."

And if Arthur managed to get away from the feast before midnight, despite his father's fury at his tardiness, and tossed expensive salt in a circle around the bed when he got to his chambers, well, only Merlin was there to notice. Besides, it wasn't as if Arthur believed in that nonsense. He was just being careful. It wouldn't do to have to save Merlin from some faerie, would it?


End file.
